Stop Gun Violence

While we mourn the countless lives lost to gun violence, we can ally ourselves with organizations working to make changes.

Within our congregation, the Justice League is planning some events in the next couple of months.

One of the projects supporting the work begun at the March 22 Michigan Conference’s Advocacy Day, is to conduct an Offering of Letters to our legislative representatives. Linked here is a sample letter you may use as a template. You should feel free to write your own unique letter representing your own experience.

Other projects will be planned. Stay tuned! To contact the Justice League group directly, email justice@fumc-a2.org.

Our United Methodist General Board of Church and Society is dedicated to gun violence prevention, making it one of their legislative priorities this year. The United Methodist Church urges “congregations to advocate at the local and national level for laws that prevent or reduce gun violence.” Some of those measures include:

  • Universal background checks on all gun purchases;
  • Ratification of the Arms Trade Treaty;
  • Ensuring all guns are sold through licensed gun retailers;
  • Prohibiting all individuals under restraining order due to threat of violence from purchasing a gun;
  • Prohibiting persons with serious mental illness, who pose a danger to themselves and their communities, from purchasing a gun;
  • Ensuring greater access to services for those who have mental illness;
  • Establishing a minimum age of 21 years for a gun purchase or possession;
  • Banning large capacity ammunition magazines and weapons designed to fire multiple rounds each time the trigger is pulled;
  • Promoting new technologies to aid law-enforcement agencies to trace crime guns and promote public safety. (Book of Resolutions, 3428)

Bishop David Bard issued a recent video addressing the need for common-sense gun legislation.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer called for gun legislation in her State of the State address on January 25, 2023 as part of a commitment to public safety.

Locally, Moms Demand Action (Michigan)/Everytown for Gun Safety, March for our Lives Washtenaw County, and End Gun Violence Michigan are actively working to make gun violence prevention a public-facing issue.

Nationally, organizations such as Students Demand Action, Sandy Hook Promise, Giffords, and The Brady Campaign are mobilizing to demand sensible gun laws in our country.

View this Detroit Free Press article about faith communities comforting, praying and calling for change.